Blue Dwarves
Split between the clans of the Firebeards and Broadbeams, the Kingdom of the Blue Mountains (or Ered Luin) rounds out the territories of the Free Peoples of Middle Earth in the northwest corner of the map. A great starting location for almost any good-aligned player with an appreciation for the mountain air, the Blue Mountains contain two ancient cities: Nogrod and the capital of Belegost. Together with their brethren of the Durin's Folk faction, they form the Dwarven Lords' Council where they hold 1 of the 7 seats, as well as fill the office of High King of All Dwarves. Government Unlike the dwarves of Durin's Folk, the members of the Blue Dwarves recognize a single King of the Blue Mountains who has supreme monarchical power and rules from the city of Belegost, and appoints the ruler of any other cities the faction controls, namely Nogrod, but formerly Mt. Gundabad at Durin's City. Due to the five different sub-branches of Ered Luin, each city uses a different colored "Blue Dwarf" title. The combinations are as follows: * Belegost: 'Royals of Belegost wear "Belegost" in a faded blue color, standard recruits use "Broadbeam" in the same color * '''Nogrod: '''Royals of Nogrod use "Nogrod" in dark blue while normal citizens use "Firebeard" in the same color * 'Vinyondolind: '''"Gondolin" in faded blue to show they are a dwarven player The important sites of the Blue Dwarves faction are as follows: * '''Belegost (Gabilgathol), the capital of Ered Luin, is ruled by the King Azaghal III (SquatchThunder) and his thane and roleplay son, Fundin ThunderAxe. Definitely one of the oldest builds on the server to receive continuous work, Belegost impresses visitors with its well developed surroundings, trophies from its players' adventures, and cavernous halls and corridors that could easily fit several trolls stacked upon each other, sealed behind the impressive front gate. * Nogrod ''(Tumunzahar),'' the second city of Ered Luin, its lordship is currently filled by laferator and his thane, clawstar1000. Formerly ruled by iwellner45 until he departed for Mt. Gundabad, then by LuckySilverStar for many months until he was banned. Nogrod is a a scenic location with able defenses and huge halls, and its entrance staircase spells woe unto any enemy foolish enough to try assailing the city. * Mount Dolmed, birthplace of the founders of the Broadbeam and Firebeard clans in the First Age, the mountain will be made into a large shrine featuring the tombs of the two dwarves within a cavern. SquatchThunder is the main builder. * Thorin's Halls (Thorintumhu) ''are an important site for Durin's Folk in particular. Thrain led the survivors of Erebor there after they left Dunland. In modern history, the blue dwarven kingdom has expanded and since rekindled the fires in the ruins of Thorin's Halls. The halls will function as a recruitment center and a training ground which is to be built by Royal Guard of the Blue Mountains, ''MINISLINKY. * Buzraruzudu, otherwise known as Geliadnuir was once an abandoned dwarven mining colony used by the Arnorian King, Arvendui, as he fled from the Witch King's attacks on Arnor. Arvedui and his men hid in the mines until they were forced out by starvation into Forochel where they went North into Forodwaith and died in the Bay of Forochel. The abandoned mines will hold a memorial to the last King of Arnor and will become once again a thriving mining colony of the blue dwarves. Balin987, minor lord of the project. The mines will once again be a center of blue dwarven excavation. * Mount Rerir is the site of an old elven city built by Caranthir, one of the seven sons of Feanor. The city was long since abandoned in the First Age and is being rebuilt by SpeedySC. The city is home to Speedy's subfaction of Noldorian elves and the official Blue Dwarves. The city will have a weathered look and still be incredibly functionable and a strong center for dwarves in the area alongside the group of Noldor that have reclaimed their city. Laws Governing the Khagolabbad * Council Loyalty Clause: All dwarven players that choose to reside in the Blue Mountains will answer to the laws and orders put forth by the dwarven council. These laws include but are not limited to: treason, disobedience to superiors, and failure to adhere to council laws. * Blue Halls Clause: '''As seen in the rules of the server itself, a player is not permitted to own and govern the entirety of the biome as well as any individual player builds in said region. The lords of the Blue Mountains ask that any players ask before building within sight of the road or in any valleys adjacent to valleys that house official builds. These players are asked to give information to SquatchThunder about where the builds are placed, how many players are to be permitted, and the purpose and loyalty of the build. * '''Mining License: Dwarves are prohibited from mining within 1000-2000 blocks from the builds, roads, and fast travel points. Mining is heavily ENCOURAGED in the southern chain. Any players are welcome to mine in such mountains permitted they don't stake an enemy claim. * Violence Act: Throughout history the Blue Dwarves have had quite some trouble with players hunting others in their valleys. It is asked that any player, that loyalty is not known of, to be asked of their allegiance by a dwarven player before violence ensues. Current lists of Blue Dwarven and Council enemies will be posted on the Dwarven Lords' Council page. * Alignment Precaution Act: '''Many players travel through the Blue Mountains to see scenery, fellow players, and to seek the riches of the land. Alignment is to be shown by all players whilst in the Blue Mountains in order to prevent accidental violation of the "Violence Act" and any assumptions of espionage or treason. * '''Sale of Blocks Clause: The Blue Mountains are of course the only place to find the beautiful blue sarlluin stone that gives the biome such an incredible look. This stone is very precious to the land and it is asked that if one is to mine such stone to seek veins in the ground instead of taking from the ground level and causing serious environmental damage. The Blue Mountains are more than happy to sell such items as cobblestone, smooth stone, or sarlluin stone to any allied factions. We do however ask that you do not mine anywhere in the northern chain for such materials if you are unable to afford the materials at the predetermined price. If you are just against the idea of mining in the southern chain and buying for whatever reason, I suggest using light blue clay tiling blocks in place of the sarlluin stone. * Environmental Conservation Act: As said in the "Sale of Blocks Clause", mining in the northern chain is incredibly frowned upon. The dwarves of these mountains ask that, in order to keep our home beautiful for many ages to come, players do NOT pillar up mountain sides. This destroys the landscape and is a pain to remove. It is also asked that players not raid dwarven structures. Do you really need those 2 plates and all the food in their kitchens? No you don't. So please refrain from mining blocks of structures, killing npcs within structures, or in any other way harming or griefing the naturally spawning structures of the Blue Mountains. Players are more than welcome to use the naturally spawning mineshafts of the region to FIND DWARVEN TRADERS TO TRADE WITH. The dwarven players ask that you not destroy the walls of the mines. Taking chests are more than welcome as are acquiring crafting tables of the region. * Taxation Clause: ON HOLD FOR TIME BEING Effective May 1st, 2016, each player will be required to pay a small tax. The tax is not meant to drive members away, but to encourage members to be more active in the faction as well as to prove who is active and who isn't. This tax extends across the blues. Those who pay this tax will be considered citizens. The tax will be collected on the first of every month. Players will be asked to toss these items into a hopper above their name within Nogrod. When Belegost has advanced these taxes will be kept separately. Donations are still welcome but cannot take the place of your tax. The tax is relatively easy to acquire, only truly having to put forth around 1-3 hours of effort to reach the goal. This tax will be as follows: ** 1 stack of silver coins (acquirable from killing enemies or trading) *** Used for trading for minerals for the Royal treasury as well as hiring units for war ** 1 stack of farming products (acquirable from farming animals and crops) *** Used for food and crafting ** 9 stacks or 1 small pouch of cobble stone (acquirable from mining within Belegost/Nogrod) *** Used for trade as well as to craft dwarven and stone bricks that are required in the halls Halls of Ered Luin (Builds) Despite their small numbers, the Blue Dwarves have worked on many builds and often find themselves helping out their allies, such as at Fornost and Moria. Their own builds consist of the following: * Belegost is being built by King SquatchThunder, and is one of the oldest and most impressive builds on the server. It is a bit different than other blue dwarven cities because in lore it has both broadbeams and longbeards that make their home there, so Belegost houses both dwarven clans and it's building style greatly shows this. With a history of accommodating new players and dwarves-to-be, Belegost's surrounding valleys once abounded with player houses around its central tower and stronghold, both built by SquatchThunder. With a world reset, the heir to Belegost started to build a small town to house new Broadbeams until the housing district within Belegost is complete. When a fierce invasion of a rogue player's Mountain Troll Chieftains besieged Gabilgathol, the beautiful tower was left in ruins, as was much of the village and surrounding landscapes. The dwarves of the region are doing their best with limited supplies to repair their home and have since moved inside. * Nogrod was until recently being built by LuckySilverStar, taking over from the previous builder iwellner45. Nogrod once had several player forts around its valleys, but when these were erased in the latest world restart LuckySilverStar began construction of a single main stronghold boasting an epic scale and massive entrance staircase. The build was being continued by an elf of Lindon and under the orders of oct2pi, former thane of Belegost and lord of Nogrod until they both went inactive, leaving laferator and clawstar1000 to design the halls under the eye of SquatchThunder. Design Guide Recently the blue dwarves have begun the designing process of many of their new builds. In order to give the designers the most insight as to what is expected, design guides will be posted here according to builds. Block choices for each hall are listed below. A few basic rules for designing: # No Lava Lava is a very dangerous resource to use in the production of builds as units can sometimes teleport into the lava and die. # Only Native Blocks There are plenty of blocks native to the blue mountains such as sarlluin, stone, and dwarven variants of blocks along with lots of wood types to choose from for specialty areas. Please try your best to stick to blocks and items found only in the blue mountains biome (exceptions being listed below) # Keep Trimmed Brick Limited Trimmed brick can make a lovely accent to any dwarven build and the blues are no exception. However, there are some situations where the amount of trimmed brick needs to be little to none. These situations are for all cities save Belegost and Nogrod. The two largest cities should have the most wealth and therefore the most trimmed brick. # No Moon Runes Moon runes from the Ithildin chisel are a lovely way to add depth and an air of magic to any dwarven hall. Similarly to trimmed brick, ithildin should not be used at all in order to preserve the magic which comes from them. # As Little Wood as Possible Wood is a nice accent piece for a more homely feel but the dwarves would have no business using flimsy wood to hold up their halls when the stone can do it for them! Wood should only be used in personal areas or those where wood seems fit like a dining area or an area with a table. When wood is used it MUST BE NATIVE to the blue mountains. These include oak, birch, spruce, pine, fir, and larch trees. * Belegost: A very earthen style with lots of exposed stone mixed with dwarven brick, sarlluin brick, and stone brick elements. The halls are larger here, smaller than those of Erebor but larger than those of Khazad-dum. The main lighting elements of Belegost are fires with glowing brick along the floors. ** Sarlluin (all variants) ** Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian) (light trimmed brick) ** Stone brick (all variants) ** Smooth stone * Nogrod: Nogrod is a grand build with large halls like Belegost but not as large. The halls within are less earthen than those of her counterpart and feature designs along the walls and little to no smooth stone present. Glowstone brick is also heavily used as lighting here. ** Sarlluin (all variants) ** Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian) (light trimmed brick) ** Stone brick (all variants) * Thorin's Halls: Thorin's Halls is planned to be a small build, nothing like the styles of Belegost or Nogrod. The size of the halls will be slightly smaller than the halls of Khazad-dum's Azanulbizar. The overall feeling of the build is that it is small but homely, a contrast to the grand stature of Belegost and Nogrod. The main source of lighting for Thorin's Halls is to be braziers with fire. No trimmed brick is to be used and some stone may be exposed. ** Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian) ** Stone brick (all variants) ** Smooth stone * Buzraruzudu: The Mines of the North will be similar to the early stages of Erebor, featuring mining as its basis for halls. The halls will be situated around various large ravines. The build style is much more cramped and cluttered. The build will feature extreme amounts of smooth stone and exposed ores along the ravine walls. The Mines will feature lots of caved in portions and various caves and mines (some of which can be abandoned!). The blocks used reflect those of an ancient build, cracked blocks here and there and collapsed tunnels and ruins of pillars. ** Sarlluin (all variants) ** Dwarven brick (all variants save obsidian) ** Stone brick (all variants) ** Smooth stone (randomized cobblestone can also provide a nice contrasting touch!) * Mount Rerir: Unlike the other builds, Mount Rerir isn't a dwarven settlement. It's the ruin of the fortress of Caranthir, son of Feanor of the First Age. The city is an elven ruin which was sacked by orcs of Morgoth in the First Age. Since the city has been abandoned and reclaimed by the dwarves and elves. The city has its own very unique style which is unlike that of any other High Elven build. It features a very airy and open feel and large cone and dome roofs. No clay tiling is used for roofs, only sarlluin. Wood is also more acceptable here but not used abundantly. ** Sarlluin (all variants) ** High Elven brick (all variants) ** White sandstone (all variants) Former builds * Durin's City was once a dwarven build built by iwellner45 at the Mt. Gundabad fast travel point. It once contained a large surrounding wall, with multiple early-stage houses dug out of the nearby mountainsides, and a central hold featuring hallways lined with statues, a shrine to Durin, a throne for the High King of All Dwarves, and a council chamber for Dwarven Lords' Council meetings, among other amenities. However, the world restart erased all of Mt. Gundabad's storied builds, and when the Gundabad orcs paid for the return of their former capital, iwellner needed to find a new location for Durin's City. Work was started on such halls yet was ground to a stop by bargaining with orcish warlords of the region for the removal of all dwarven influence in the northern Misty Mountains. Now, it has returned to Gundabad rule. * Azran was a blue dwarven city in the southern chain, named after the river that used to run west into Beleriand, it was ruled by Tennisdude03. It was the primary city in the southern blues until a world reset where it wasn't replaced and the Minor Lord was banned. * Zelem'an Ganad was a city at the beginning of the river flowing through Lindon on the western side of the Blue Mountains. It was meant to house the few trade ships the dwarves had after the conquest of Meneltarma. Becoming a Blue Dwarf The Blue Dwarves are one of the oldest organized factions on the server with a distinguished history of community service and glorious deeds. Many of the server's most upstanding players have spent time with the faction, and their lands provide an ideal location for a new player of any good race to get started thanks to its abundance of mineral resources, quality of its metals, protection from enemies, and the abundance of wonderful players. Aspiring Blue Dwarves are treated well and generously with new living quarters and new weapons if need. They should: # Speak to SquatchThunder, FundinThunderaxe, Laferator, Balin987, Clawstar1000, or MINISLINKY to join # earn 100 alignment through killing Gundabad orcs or completing the quests of the native NPCs # journeying to the capital of Belegost for assignments from the king # gaining 1 mineral block of gold, silver, and bronze by mining on their way to the mountains # have a facebook created so you can be kept up to date with Blue Dwarven and Dwarven events. If you are unwilling to reveal personal information, you can create a fake account with a fake name. Such as SquatchThunder could make a profile with the first name "Squatch" and the last name "Thunder." There are no formal ranks besides minor lords who are building cities under authority of the king, thanes of these builds, and the Royal Guard of the region, but all new recruits are given the same gear and treated with equal respect. These dwarves can aspire to become well known members of society and maybe even have halls named after them in the large builds such as the legendary "Fundin's Hall" in Belegost and the "Silverstar Hall" in Nogrod! Sagas of the Blue Dwarves (Server History) In the beginning of the server, a young warrior by the name of squatch_thunder7 entered the world of Middle Earth. The world was quiet with the occasional elf and man conversing about trade agreements. He walked quietly and all alone to the great mountains in the west known as Ered Luin. It was here that the great city of Belegost had started to take root. Not long after the Blue Mountains had been claimed by squatch, yet another dwarf chose to join the ranks of the mountains. He went by the name of iwellner45. He assisted in the first stages of Belegost and helped to supply squatch with materials needed to forge his own halls. After quite a while, iwellner became the first lord of Nogrod. He was tasked with building the wonderful forges and halls that would help further populate the Blue Mountains. The blue dwarves were engaged in quite a few conflicts with the scavenging orcs from the mountain of Gundabad; however, both parties were reasonably friendly with each other and sometimes invited each other to their halls to see the progress being made. There were many skirmishes with the orcs and blue dwarves but many were resolved. As the dwarves grew in number, they planned to take the Mount Gundabad back from the orcs after they heard word that the current warchief of Gundabad had abandoned his position. A host of dwarves marched from Framsburg east of the Misty Mountains and made their way to the city. The Lord of Ered Luin however, had already made the trek and knew the path so he arrived much more quickly from the west. Squatch planned to hold off the orcs himself and to have the dwarves come in to help finish off the attackers. As Squatch made his way into his future halls and prepared the area in case of attack, an attack did indeed come. What appeared to be a dwarf bearing mithril armor strode to the gate. This "dwarf" was actually an evil orcish warlord of Angmar to the west. His armor and shield bore the mark of the ruined orc kingdom of Angmar. In the silent staredown, an orc horn sounded. Legions of orcs, many trolls, and armed wargs ran to their chief. They were halted behind him. Squatch then summoned his own party of dwarves. They were heavily outnumbered. The battle began with dwarven and orcish horns sounding in unison. The orcs took the gate as the dwarves retreated into the halls themselves. As they emerged to continue the fight, they were met by Angmar's violent warg bombardiers. These wargs slew the dwarves in massive numbers. The dwarven king was assumed dead and the orcs, successfully coming to the aid of the Gundabad orcs, returned to their ruined halls. The dwarven king awoke in the halls of Durin as his men stood over him. He rose and walked out into the blizzard that blew above the bloody slopes. Squatch soon learned that the halls that Durin awoke in had been bought off the orcs by the thane of Ered Luin, iwellner45 and his troop of dwarves, for 64 coins. Many dwarves on the server had made their way to the blue mountains when they heard of a lord that would equip them and send them on their journeys. The most notable of these lords include the lords of Moria, the Iron Hills, former lords of Erebor, and even the lord of the Grey Mountains all came to the blue mountains and were equipped for their travels. The blue dwarves often found themselves occupied with projects that weren't even theirs to complete. After iwellner went to build Durin's City, Nogrod became largely vacant and Belegost became the only real city in the mountain range. Squatch was often found working on builds such as Khazad-dum, Fornost, and even some builds in Gondor and beyond. Many wonderful trade agreements, friendships, and alliances came out 987of all these charitable acts; making the Dwarves of Ered Luin very friendly with many factions and granting them protection from many enemies. Not too long ago, a young player named LuckySilverStar found himself as the new Lord of Nogrod. He works very hard for the faction and is constantly helping new players find their ways into the ranks of the Blue Dwarves. Lucky has done wonderful work on the city of Nogrod and has helped it to house the majority of Blue Dwarves on the server. After Nogrod was working nicely, a few new holds were started to further the hold of the dwarves in their realm. These halls were Zelem'an Ganad and Azran. Zelem'an Ganad's beginning came from the small island of Meneltarma to the west of Far Harad. This hold was fairly fortified and was not more than a small town. This small town was then claimed for Ered Luin and named a province of Zelem'an Ganad. Azran has a much less colorful history. It was founded by a young dwarf and is the central hold in the southern blues. All halls and lords but those of the two capitols fell to the great quaking of the earth (another world reset). Meneltarma's dwarven rule has fallen into the sea as mysteriously as it had arrived. Many years later, the Dwarven Lord Azaghal III commissioned for the abandoned forts and holds of the north to be reclaimed and as to bring wealth into the kingdom as well as for the ruins of Thorin's Halls to be rebuilt as a training center. Azaghal would be punished for his greed by an earthquake which shook the halls of Belegost and Nogrod, caving in parts of Nogrod and stopping the flow of water into the lake in the valley of Belegost. As a tribute to Mahal and his fathers to be forgiven for his greed, Azaghal left his son Fundin to watch over Belegost while he went south to Mount Dolmed to excavate the tombs of Telphor and Bighal which became flooded at the end of the First Age. As of late, the Khazad living in Ered Luin have been busied with their own holds and creating defenses for their halls to protect from invaders. They are always welcoming and seek to create many more friendships and alliances in the majestic world of Middle Earth. Firebeards and Broadbeams (Players) Titles * Belegost ** Lord Councillor: Blue Dwarven Lord/faded blue ** Heir: ''Belegost/faded blue ** ''Citizen: ''Broadbeam/faded blue * '''Nogrod' ** Minor Lord and Thane: Nogrod/faded blue ** Citizen: Firebeard/faded blue * Thorin's Halls ** Royal Guard: Belegost/dark grey ** Citizen: Broadbeam or Firebeard/dark grey * Geliadnuir ** Minor Lord: Belegost/cyan ** Citizen: ''Broadbeam or Firebeard/cyan '''Belegost Broadbeams' # SquatchThunder, High King of All Dwarves and Dwarven Lord of the Blue Mountains # FundinThunderaxe, Heir of Belegost and the Blue Mountains # ShenaHeilyn, Citizen of Belegost # Hashiro_Kun, Citizen of Belegost # Kili_Dwarf, Citizen of Belegost # Kedron619, Citizen of Belegost # HogwartsCrafter, Citizen of Belegost # TOP_CRUISER_99, Citizen of Belegost # _Koli2_, Citizen of Belegost # Ryanicus2002, Recruit of Belegost Nogrod Firebeards # laferator, Minor Lord of Nogrod # clawstar1000, Thane of Nogrod # Huvid, Recruit of Nogrod # fistofmetal, Citizen of Nogrod # darkwindz3, Recruit of Nogrod Thorin's Hall Dwarves # MINISLINKY, Royal Guard of the Blue Mountains # Ecilatress, Citizen of Thorin's Halls # Trebortress, Citizen of Thorin's Halls # _Ender_Ben_, Recruit of Thorin's Halls Geliadnuir Dwarves # Balin987, Minor Lord of Geliadnuir # Jakub8899, Recruit of Geliadnuir Noldorian Elves/Dwarves of Mount Rerir # SpeedySC, Noldorian Price of Mount Rerir Glittering Caves Dwarves # TheSmileBC, Dwarven Guardian of Aglarond [[Vinyondolindrim|'Vinyondolind']]' Dwarves' # FFub, Elven Builder of New Gondolin Honorary Dead # iwellner45, First Lord of Nogrod, Lord of Durin's City, a Founder of the Dwarven Council # DamonSilverstone, Thane of Belegost and Heir to the Blue Mountains # LuckySilverstar, Second Lord of Nogrod # TechFuze45, Third Lord of Nogrod # Oct2pi, Fourth Lord of Nogrod # SquashGaming, Lord of Zelem'an Ganad # Tennisdude03, Lord of Azran Role Play of the Blue Dwarves The Blue Dwarves are a faction with little role play; however, it is not unheard of for the dwarves of these lands to speak of events in a more story-like way. Numbers 1-10 are the Royal Line of The Blue Dwarves. These are the players' role play names and identities: # Azaghal Belkbaghud '(Deceased) #* ''In Game Name: squatch_thunder7 #* Titles: Lord of the Blue Mountains, Lord of Belegost #* Achievements: Victory at the First Battle of Gundabad, Founded the Blue Dwarves #* Brief History: # '''Azaghal III #* In Game Name: SquatchThunder #* Titles: Dwarven High King, Lord of the Blue Mountains, Lord of Belegost #* Achievements: Elected as Dwarven High King, Expanded Blue Dwarven Territories, a Founder of the Dwarven Council #* Brief History: # Dwarin '(Deceased) #* ''In Game Name: iwellner45 #* Titles: Minor Lord of Nogrod, Lord and Founder of Durin's City, a Founder of the Dwarven Council #* Achievements: Suggested Dwarven Council, Victory at First Battle of Gundabad, Founded Nogrod #* Brief History: # 'Dimli Silverstone '(Deceased) #* In Game Name: DamonSilverstone #* Titles: Thane of Belegost #* Achievements: Built Silverstone Valley Village #* Brief History: # '''Fundin Thunderaxe #* In Game Name: FundinThunderaxe #* Titles: Thane of Belegost #* Achievements: Builder of the Third Hall of Belegost #* Brief History: # Balin #* In Game Name: Balin987 #* Titles: Minor Lord of Arvedui's Mines #* Achievements: Builder of the Third Hall of Belegost, Former Royal Guard #* Brief History: # Barin Silverstar '(Deceased) #* ''In Game Name: LuckySilverstar #* Titles: Lord of Nogrod #* Achievements: Refounded Nogrod, Expanded wealth of Nogrod #* Brief History: # '''Thrinain #* In Game Name: laferator #* Titles: Lord of Nogrod #* Achievements: Further expanded Nogrod in terms of space and members #* Brief History: # Dwar II #* In Game Name: clawstar1000 #* Titles: Thane of Nogrod #* Achievements: Expanded numbers in Nogrod #* Brief History: # Roleplay Name #* In Game Name: MINISLINKY #* Titles: Royal Guard of the Blue Mountains #* Achievements: #* Brief History: